primordial

Archive | Interviews | Ancient Spirit TERROR, Zine Issue #3 2005

1.Greetings Alan, how you're doing? As I saw on your website and in various zines your newest effort received an overwhelming feedback, but what's your own opinion on "The Gathering Wilderness" now that it is out a few weeks?
What do you think about the way it sounds, looks, feels with some distance to the recording session?

- well usually I don't listen to an album for a long time after we record it and this one was no different and it took me a long time to get used to it but I just view it now as another page in the primordial book, another journey on the same path. we don't repeat ourselves yet it is instantly recognisable as primordial. nothing is ever prefect, when it is its time to quit so there are flaws of course but I think they define character. who wants to listen to an album that sounds like it has been played by a computer ?. the way it looks is nearer then any other album to my complete aesthetic vision.

2.I'm not a big fan of these "how was the recording and the work with the producer, mixer"-stuff, but from the 20 minute long "making of" on the DVD I guess that Billy Anderson had quite some effect on the way the new album sounds. Actually I think you guys never had a better production, it is natural, "live", dynamic and not so awfully digital like many other releases today. How high do you rate Billy's influence on "The Gathering Wilderness" and how did he approach the recording, mixing of this album? Did he direct you or did gave you all liberties? Was any of the equipment, gear you used of special relevance?

- yeah well the making of DVD should be take for what it is and not analysed to death, to be honest no matter who was recording the album our style and trademarks would be stamped all over it. personally I don't like recording and find it stressful, dealing with all the money, the same people day day out and sleepless night after sleepless night. and then you have to be creative in short bursts of energy. we simply wanted something simple, something rougher and rawer and Billy helped us get it.

3.I read that you wanted to sound the album close to your Live performances or rehearsals, how did you try to achieve this effect on the new album? I guess a studio creates the maximum of distance and thus getting a live-sounding production requires a lot experience, skill and engagement of both musicians and producer, would you agree? How could you personally overcome this distance and come up with your most intense and most emotional performance ever?

- we just try and lay down as much as possible at the same time as regards drums, bass and vocals. there are always problems in the studio but we have tried hard to get this organic feel to the sound, sounding more like it was recorded in 1982 in a dusty basement then in 2005 through protools and a ton of effects.

4.In your biography you described "Journey's End" as a sort of abortion to cleanse yourself from various negative experiences prior to its recording, the darkness and emotional depth of your newest work made me wonder if it was the same with "The Gathering Wilderness"? It sounds so as if an inner struggle between utter despair and furious hate at the sight of the world's ways rages inside you and drives you to the edge of madness. honestly spoken, I don't think that an album that expresses so much emotional tension can have be recorded by souls at peace with themselves, their situation and in a relaxed studio atmosphere, is that true? How did you actually feel while creating, rehearsing, singing, recording these songs? Is there this inner struggle and if so, why it is there, where does it come from?

- there is always struggle, strife is life and all that. with a journeys end there has been a few years of bitterness and problems between us personally, there was nothing like that this time. it has a more universally bleak atmosphere to it, a rage at the state of the world and a desperation to impart our message or ask the questions. the studio is never easy and the stress of the situation does go into the making of the album and the sound of the album of course but the world is a dark place and primordial reflects that you know...there really isn't another way to look at it. I couldn't stand on a stage and be true to myself and sing about angels or zombies, unicorns, dwarves or dragons...primordial is a serious band that deals with deep subjects its always been this way and always will.

5.The meanwhile traditional introduction to the album inside the booklet obviously aims at the numerous socio-cultural and political problems plaguing, even ruining the lives of people, could you specify what torments your thoughts on "The Gathering Wilderness" exactly? To quote you, what "injustices" you mean? Is it especially your concern for your own people, the Irish people that matters in that respect?

- well not necessarily. if I write something with some reference to Irish history it can always be taken in a universal context and it is not singularly written for my own kin. if I write a song like the coffin ships about the Irish famine I am very sure peoples from other countries can see their own countries tragedy's within it. when i speak of injustices I am more talking of how the common man feels he has no voice and the powers that be are rewriting history to suit their ideal of "democracy". I'm talking about middle eastern, American and European politics here.

6.The term "wilderness" is something I associate on one hand with a chaotic, apocalyptic, plague-like rampant growth as well as something that is allowed to spread freely, to evolve. Do you see this ambiguity, too? How would you define the term "wilderness" and to what extent do you fear it respectively welcome it?

- its meant in two ways, in one way I am talking about the wilderness or the darkness growing in mens hearts as old historical wounds are re-opened and the death of empathy and natural spirituality. and then also the concept that we live in an age where man seems to think he should live above nature and not in harmony with it and that nature will of course have the last laugh.
it refers to many things on many levels.

7.You say "Old Europe is changing" with a pretty negative connotation, I think, can you specify the dangers, conflicts threatening us, our home, our families, our country? Do you see any chances to prevent the ruin of our world? I think an important issue is how to make people realize the problems at all!

- there are many ways things are changing. its hard to be specific but it seems to me a certain section of European society feels that no political parties speak for them or have their interests at heart and that we are seeing more and more the protest vote in Europe as people are being pushed into the arms of the right as there seems no common sense political ground that can deal with issues that the politically correct left have deemed we cannot talk about or address. personally I am not interested in left or right, only what makes sense. and our politicians are selling our ancestry and our history as they deem it something to be embarrassed about. it also address concepts that in the past Christianity defended Europe from Islam but now Christianity has been replaced by capitalism and there are no borders and nothing to bind the people. there has to be a climate whereby I can talk of my kind, my kin and my culture and heritage without being shouted down by the left and for them to realise it is not coming from a xenophobic stance. And this argument is relevant to me because I happen to be European and Irish but is an argument that can be applied to anywhere and to anyone. Europe is like an experiment...and who suffers if this experiment goes wrong ?.
again often I ask questions I don't necessarily know the answers to...
but they are questions that need to be asked.

8.Some reviews I read on "Gathering" described the album as being very pessimistic and of a general negativity. To some extent I would agree, but I discover a certain glimpse of hope in the hatred and rage it exhales as well. It's like an old warrior that has fought fiercely countless times (manifesting musically on the albums "Spirit The Earth Aflame" and "Storm Before Calm"), now as the warrior realizes his defeat, the death and despair around he struggles within himself with his bitterness and sadness, but also feels the same old hate still pulsing, is this a appropriate metaphor or do you see it different?

- I don't think the album is negative or pessimistic, Dark yes, realistic yes but it never admits defeat if you want to put it like that. It is not hopeless, desperate yes but not hopeless. That is more how I would look at it to be honest. People told me I would mellow with age but if anything I am more full of rage then ever before.

9. I think in contrast to most other bands into pagan topics, PRIMORDIAL certainly has also a strong connection to its roots in Celtic, Pagan belief and culture, but does not fall prey to turn it into some romantic fantasy of a drinking horde of barbarians like some other acts do, but appears to be deeply serious and concerned about it - hope I interpreted that right! In PRIMORDIAL's lyrics and also when you're onstage and address the audience I get the idea that you want to convince people to belief in or at least grapple with their ancestry, the history of their country and nourish on the strength, will, care that united families, tribes in past days. Would you agree? The last verse of "The Golden Spiral" is a good example that you believe or at least dream of something like unity and brotherhood with the people you meet on foreign shores! Does the egocentrism of the modern world disgust you? Is the Metal scene a form of alternative to it?

- You've hit it more or less on the head there and in a sense answered your own question. We are not romantics, we do not wish to live 3000 years ago and if we sing about something that echoes the past or our folklore it is always done so it has a deep resonance in today's age. However Primordial is most definitely not fantasy, this is grim reality in every way. Primordial is not about escapism either so yes you could say we side step all the usual fantastical, romantic and jolly pagan metal that's out there. If someone can be made to think by what we are, what we write and what we stand for then that is a positive thing. We question people so they may try to discover their roots and where they stand within this fucked up world. The Golden Spiral is a simple song about seeing yourself within other people and seeing fellow people who also seem alienated from this society we live in...people who relate far more naturally to each other as they relate to the elements around them in a primal and natural way. Too many things with the modern world disgust me, is the metal scene the answer ?, I don't think so. We just happen to be in it and I'm glad I have met like minded individuals within the metal scene and not...

10.How have you actually learned from your heathen ancestry and gathered spiritual, mental guidance from your belief in the old Gods? Where does this worldview, this respect for and knowledge about the past afflict your perspective on every-day reality?

- realistically I live in the city and at the moment am going through a time in my life where I am far more concerned with politics then spirituality. I view things simply in respect to our ancient cultures....I don't call on Odin, or thor, or morrigan or herne or whatever...the gods may change from country to country but the language is the same and they represent our natural relationship to the elements. Therefore the archetypes of these gods are my own...there are many things we can learn from our ancestors of course, sometimes its hard to find the time and space in this helter skelter world and often I wish life didn't move at such a pace and it gets tiring swimming against the current but like I said I'm a realist not a romantic.

11.I hope this isn't a bit too personal, but in the booklet you thank your "long suffering family", would you talk about that?

- its a joke, nothing more. anyone who has put up with me so long deserves to be thanked.

12.What I respect a lot in PRIMORDIAL's musical work and your writing is that it appears down to the bone honest and that for aeons! Is this honesty, this enthusiasm, dedication and passion something typical Irish, a quality you inherited?

- yes irish people are pretty down to earth so honesty is a pretty Irish attribute. You generally wont see irish bands looking like cradle of filth or motley crue...irish people are as i said down to earth !. Right from the beginning we wanted to make honest, pure and passionate music without compromise or care for trends and i think we have achieved that.

13.Let's talk a bit about the Live-side of PRIMORDIAL, I saw you in December in Arnhem for the third time and it was a VERY good show, except being shocked by your new skinhead-look, haha, just kiddin' it looks cool. Did you enjoy that show? The sound was excellent and I think vocal-wise you were pretty strong, at least I got goose pimples. This year you'll headline Under The Black Sun Fest, which I visited the first time in 2004 and was a very relaxed experience. Do you look forward to that show? What songs will you perform of "Gathering"? If I can utter a request here - "End Of All Times" and please "Autumn's Ablaze" off the second album, I love that one.

- Well yeah people have commented on the hair. no big deal. I was tired of having long hair and all that shit. It was a good show I think. I don't know what we will perform at under the black sun probably some old songs from the first album. time will tell.

14.And speaking of Live shows there is a little story I have to tell you regarding your appearance at Party San Open Air in 2003, because we actually met there. I had a backstage pass and wanted to use the toilet prior to your show - the beer, you know - so I went to this shabby container and went up the stairs and just in the moment I wanted to grab the door handle, the door opened and you came out with complete corpse paint and a look on your face as if you had either too much sun or too much cocaine, haha, I almost fell backwards on the new DESASTER singer, who was also standing around there, haha. But that show wasn't too good for you, right? The sun was awful!!!

- haha, yeah I'm not one for the sun that's for sure...I think I got a bigger shock afterwards standing in the toilet trying to clean the blood and dirt off me and 2 girls came in to take a shower and I didn't realise it was a multi-sex shower and liberated as they were the fact there was some freak standing there covered in blood and sweat and leather didn't bother them jabbering away in German taking their clothes off and having a shower...kinda better then your story !,...

15.Do you already have an idea how it goes on with PRIMORDIAL after "Gathering"? Are there already new ideas spinning in your heads? How many albums will you have to make for Metal Blade?

- our contract with metal blade will take us to album number 8 if we ever get there. who knows. primordial wont last forever that's for sure. there was some ideas that didn't make it to this album that we will start to slowly work on for the next one. one song faster then anything before...so who knows what will happen.

16.Ok, Alan, before we finish, let us know some of your favourite albums lately, since I know you've got a good taste (this playlists everywhere on your website show that): ALLFATHER, AXIS OF ADVANCE, ANGEL CORPSE, JOHNNY CASH, MASTER'S HAMMER.

- yeah I'm kinda all over the place really, lately I've been listening to mastodon - leviathan, cult of luna - salvation, isis - panopticon, deathspell omega - cirumspice, dead soul tribe - january tree, sigrblot - blodsband, witchcraft - witchcraft, motley crue - shout at the devil, ratt - out of the cellar, axis of advance - obey, morrigan - celts, misfits - walk among us, rotting christ - triarchy, venom - welcome to hell, razor - executioners song, lots of things.....

17.Thanks for your answers, all the best for 2005, much success with the new masterpiece and hopefully we can drink a cold beer together in July at Under The Black Sun, in the ancient spirit, cheerz!

- sure no problem
take it easy

joy and strength

nemtheanga